Greece Retail Sales Growth at One-Year High

Retail sales in Greece rose by 6.8% year-on-year in May 2026, rebounding from 0.3% decline in the previous month, highest reading since April 2025. The recovery was supported by stronger performance across major segments, with sales of non-food products excluding automotive fuel surging (7.7% vs -1.1% in April). Food sales also accelerated (7.7% vs 2.9%), while automotive fuel sales declined at a slower pace (-0.6% vs -6.6%). Among the major retail categories, growth accelerated in furniture, electrical equipment, and household goods (10.6% vs 5.3%), pharmaceutical products and cosmetics (8.4% vs 2.6%), food, beverages, and tobacco (7.9% vs 3.3%), and supermarkets (6.9% vs 1.9%). Meanwhile, clothing and footwear (8.6% vs -6.3%), department stores (5.8% vs -3.9%) rebounded, while automotive fuel remained in contraction, albeit at a much slower pace (-0.6% vs -6.6%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity rose 3.3% in May.

Retail sales in Greece fell 0.1% year-on-year in April 2026, reversing a 3.0% increase in the previous month and marking the first annual decline since September 2025. Sales in the automotive fuel sector dropped 7.4% after remaining unchanged in March, while the non-food sector excluding automotive fuel also declined 1.3%, reversing from a 5.1% increase. Meanwhile, sales growth in the food sector accelerated to 4.1% from 2.8%. Among specialized categories, retail activity declined in department stores (-4.5% vs -0.3%), clothing and footwear (-5.9% vs -3%), and books, stationery, and other goods (-6.7% vs 6.9%). In addition, sales growth eased for pharmaceutical products and cosmetics (2.7% vs 3.9%) and furniture, electrical equipment, and household goods (5.2% vs 12.5%). In contrast, sales accelerated in food, beverages, and tobacco stores (3.3% vs 0.6%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity fell 1.4%, following a 0.5% decline in the previous period.

Retail sales in Greece increased 3.0% year-on-year in March 2026, slowing from a downwardly revised 4.4% rise in the previous month and marking the weakest growth since November 2025. Sales growth eased for food (2.9% vs 7.4% in February) and the non-food sector excluding automotive fuel (5.1% vs 8.9%), while sales of automotive fuel fell at a softer pace (-0.3% vs -3.1%). Among specialized categories, retail activity also moderated in supermarkets (2.7% vs 5.7%), food, beverages, and tobacco (0.6% vs 11.4%), pharmaceutical products and cosmetics (3.9% vs 10.2%), furniture, electrical equipment and household goods (12.5% vs 17.3%), and books, stationery and other goods (6.9% vs 7.1%). At the same time, sales declined in department stores (-0.3% vs 2.7%), and fell further for clothing and footwear (-3% vs -0.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity fell 0.5% in April.